I use a lumber rack on my pickup to carry my canoes.
Over the years – in order to be kind to my gunwales – I’ve screwed wooden 1x2s atop the steel bars.
Today I replaced the wood with Trex – the deck “lumber” made with plastic.
Smooth … and expensive ($25 for a 12-1x6) … but I think I’ll never again have to replace it every year as it feels just like the plastic coating on my car’s Yakima rack …
All those screwheads in the gunwales just bounce over it instead of taking a chunk out of the wood and it won’t grey, check, and weather.
Ah, BUT Trex does in fact warp, split,
and other such things. Surprise!!! Do not believe everything advertisements tell you! ;^)
One of the things that help keep it from warping is being securely fastened to the joice the full length and width of each board. The ones I have seen that were not properly fastened did warp.
All in all it will most likely out perform your old plain 2"x4"s. It will be interesting to see your results.
:^)
Mick
that’s why god invented screws
Yeah, the stuff has no strength of its own – but as it’s screwed to the steel support bars every 10-inches I can’t see it having much of an opportunity to warp.
cool!
Dang, I can’t believe I never thought of that. Thanks for posting the tip, and I’m off to the lumberyard!